If you were to walk through my home you may or may not notice the personalized affirmations I have positioned quite intentionally about. It all started when I took charge of my health and made a big personal campaign to honor my body temple. It meant changing my perspective on my self image, my self-worth and my relationship with food and exercise. My intentions were great, fabulous and well-rounded, even realistic. But my commitment was notorious for waning and losing steam. I knew I needed motivation. I had family and friends behind me. I had great resources at my fingertips. But what I needed the most was excuse busters for those quiet creeper moments. You know, those late night snack attacks, those skip the exercise today because you have a dentist appointment this afternoon excuses, those why bother, you only lost one pound last week monsters and those just a small bite, no one will know lies.
So to fend off these thieves and robbers of my intentions I beat them to their punch. I posted inside cabinets, on the treadmill, on my bathroom mirror, on the scale, in the fridge and on the dashboard of the car…just to name a few spots. I personally created affirmations that spoke directly to me. I scripted in my head the one liners and excuses, the bargains and empty promises I made to myself and then came up with the perfect come back for each of them.

Sometimes I would use famous lines from some of my favorite philosophers or authors. At other times I would quote myself directly, as though I were speaking to a beloved friend. Often I would poke fun at myself, as humor worked wonderfully for me. It worked. It worked really well! On a roll and to continue to outsmart myself and to cause traction on the slippery slope I could sometimes find myself on, I kept at it. I would switch them up, replace them, decorated them to make them more prominent. Whatever it took, I did it. I decided I was worth it. I was so worth it I dropped over 100 pounds and changed how I honor my body for the rest of my life. It took a good amount of hard work, a lot of honesty, and patience with my self, but a bit of tough love too. Nothing will ever be the same! The blessings are present daily.

So, what are your struggles and what are your intentions? When you are ready to take them on…think about ways to support yourself. Other people’s affirmations are great. But if you are like me, having a more personalized version, one that really pokes me, or takes the air out of my arrogant balloon, or stares me in the eye and won’t back off….those work best! It takes hard work, determination and self- compassion. But it also takes no ifs, ands or buts and no excuses, lies or self-deprecating thoughts. Step up and be your own self-empowering guru. You know what to say! The script is already written in your head.